South Africa - a long supporter of the Palestinian cause - said it will withdraw its diplomatic staff from Israel in response to Tel Aviv's brutal onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has now killed over 10,000 Palestinians.

Pretoria also said the position of the Israeli ambassador to the country was becoming "more and more untenable", accusing the diplomat of having made "disparaging remarks" about people condemning Israel over its atrocities in Gaza - Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, a minister in the president's office, told a press briefing.

Pretoria has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) often linking it to its own struggle against apartheid.

Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said the recall of the diplomats was "normal practice", adding the envoys would give a "full briefing" to the government, which will then decide whether it can be of assistance or if a "continued relationship is actually able to be sustained".

Pandor told a press conference on Monday:

"We are extremely concerned at the continued killing of children and innocent civilians in the Palestinian territories and we believe the nature of response by Israel has become one of collective punishment. We felt it important that we do signal the concern of South Africa while continuing to call for a comprehensive cessation (of hostilities)."

Khumbidzo Ntshavheni, a minister in the president's office, accused Israeli ambassador Eliav Belotsercovsky, of making derogatory comments about South Africans, including members of government, who spoke against the genocide being committed by the Israeli government.

"There seems to be a strange practice among some ambassadors in South Africa, that they can just say what they like I don't know if it's because it's an African country and they disrespect us but it's something that we should not tolerate."

Numerous pro-Palestine protests have taken place across South Africa over the past month.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is among several ANC officials who have participated sporting flags and keffiyeh scarves, in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.

Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky has admitted that countries among his Western backers are communicating with Russia, despite his repeated refusal to engage with Moscow on resolving the ongoing conflict.

In an interview with NBC News on Sunday, Zelensky was asked to address reports that Western officials had approached Kiev to discuss potential peace talks with Russia. The channel also sought to clarify whether he was personally involved in the process.

Zelensky said that while he had heard "a lot of different voices and emotions and without any contradictions and propositions," he did not have any contact with Russia, adding that all top US officials and policymakers were well aware of his refusal to negotiate with Moscow.

The Ukrainian president also stressed that he had not experienced any overt pressure from the West to sit down with his opponent. However, he conceded that "I'm sure that there are some countries [where] on the level of intelligence or advisers of leaders... maybe they speak with Russia. Maybe they think how to manage everything."

According to Zelensky, however, talks are impossible until Russian troops leave the territory that Ukraine claims as its own. That statement was in line with the Ukrainian leader's long-touted peace formula, which also demands the establishment of a tribunal to prosecute Russians for alleged war crimes. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed the proposals as detached from reality.

While the Kremlin maintains it is open to a settlement with Ukraine, Zelensky signed a decree last autumn banning any negotiation with the current leadership after four former Ukrainian regions overwhelmingly voted to join Russia.

However, NBC reported on Saturday that Western officials were holding "delicate" talks with Kiev, probing it on what concessions it might be willing to make to end the conflict.

The discussions are reportedly being driven by fears that hostilities have "reached a stalemate," and that Ukraine is "running out of forces." It comes amid Kiev's ongoing counteroffensive, which has been underway since June, but has failed to gain any substantial ground.

According to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, Ukraine has lost more than 90,000 troops since the start of the push.

Türkiye has told the US that its stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict has both tarnished its reputation and put the entire world community in a tough spot, Hurriyet reported on Tuesday.

Ankara conveyed that message during a meeting between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday, which concerned the current crisis in the Middle East.

The sit-down came amid heightened tensions between Türkiye and Israel, Washington's key ally in the region, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently accusing the Jewish state of "war crimes" in Gaza and denouncing its ground assault as "an open, vicious massacre."

Israel maintains that it has no intention of harming the civilian population in the Palestinian enclave, stressing that its main objective is to defeat Hamas, which launched a surprise attack on the country on October 7.

Hurriyet claimed that Fidan and his delegation "clearly explained" to Blinken what was happening in Gaza, and that the US vow to stand by Israel while refusing to call for a ceasefire, was "putting everyone in trouble."

"You are also putting your own image in trouble because you are seen as the patron of the crimes committed by Israel," the delegation reportedly said.

Following the meeting, the two sides did not issue a joint statement nor hold a joint press conference. Speaking to reporters, however, Blinken said that he had a very "productive" conversation with Fidan, including about the need to "significantly expand humanitarian assistance" to Gaza and avoid escalating the conflict.

The West bears responsibility for the latest escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because it neglected to address the root causes of the issue, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell has said. He added that he saw no way to end the decades-old struggle militarily.

Speaking during the EU Ambassadors Conference on Monday, Borrell said that the "unfolding tragedy in the Middle East is the outcome of a collective political and moral failure." He clarified that the failure boiled down to "our real lack of willingness to solve the Israeli-Palestinian problem."

In light of this, the bloc has an "obligation to be involved," the diplomat said, adding that Brussels is focusing in the short term on providing humanitarian relief to civilians trapped in Gaza, and in the long term on seeking a "comprehensive and definitive settlement."

Borrell called for a "humanitarian pause counterbalanced by an access to hostages with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as a first step to their release." He also warned that an "overreaction by the Israelis in the end makes them lose the support of the international community."

The official went on to say that the conflict has no military solution, adding that even if Israel succeeds in destroying Hamas, it is unlikely to bring peace to the region.

The latest round of the conflict has so far left more than 1,400 Israelis and nearly 10,000 Palestinians dead, with thousands more injured.